SE2050791A1 - Sandwich panel and associated assembly method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel comprising an insulation material sandwiched between an inner metallic tray and an outer metallic sheet wherein the inner tray comprises in cross-section an inner recess extending inwards from a first extremity of the inner central part and a U-shaped bend forming an inner tongue extending inwards from a second extremity of the inner central part, the inner recess and the inner tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking, wherein the outer sheet comprises a first lateral rib extending from a first extremity of the outer central part and comprising a first lower part which is pinched and an outer recess, a second lateral rib extending from a second extremity of the outer central part and comprising a second lower part which is pinched, the first lateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes that allow their interlocking.

Description

Sandwich panel and associated assembly method The present invention relates to a sandwich panel, intended for theconstruction of building enveiopes, and more particularly intended for theconstruction of building roofs, without being limited thereof. lt is known to assemble sandwich panels comprising an insulation layerbetween two metallic sheets to build roofs. Each sandwich panel usually compriseson one of its longitudinal edge a male interlocking part and on its other longitudinaledge a female interlocking part such that the male and female interlocking partsinterlock into one another when two panels are assembled. lt is also known to build walls by assembling sandwich panels wherein thefasteners used to fix one panel on the building structure are hidden when positioningthe adjacent panel. Nevertheless, these hidden fixings are not resistant enough towind suction to use these sandwich panels for the construction of roofs.

The aim of the present invention is therefore to remedy the drawbacks of theprior art by providing a sandwich panel with hidden fixing which provides an improved resistance to wind suction.

For this purpose, a first subject of the present invention consists of a panelcomprising an insulation material sandwiched between an inner metallic tray and anouter metallic sheet wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section: - An inner central part substantially lying in a plane P, - A first inner flange extending inwards from a first extremity of the inner central part and comprising an inner recess extending in parallel to planeP and inwards, - A second inner flange extending inwards from a second extremity of theinner central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an innertongue extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the inner recessand the inner tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking, wherein the outer metallic sheet comprises in cross-section: - An outer central part, 2A first outer flange extending from a first extremity of the outer central part, substantially above the first inner flange and comprising successively: o a first |atera| rib extending substantially perpendicularly to plane Pand outwards and comprising a first lower part and a first upperpart, the first lower part being at least partially thinner than the firstupper part, o an outer recess extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, A second outer flange extending from a second extremity of the outercentral part and comprising a second |atera| rib extending substantiallyperpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising a second lowerpart and a second upper part, the second lower part being at least partiallythinner than the second upper part, the first |atera| rib and the second|atera| rib having shapes that allow the interlocking of the second |atera| rib on the first |atera| rib.

The panel according to the invention may also have the optional features listed below, considered individually or in combination: the inner recess comprises an inner step extending substantiallyperpendicular from the inner central part and a flat portion, the innertongue comprises a lower branch and an upper branch linked bya U-turn, the upper branch being inclined towards the U-Turn, the first |atera| wing comprises two |atera| wings which are substantially incontact on at least a portion of the first lower part, the outer recess comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of theL being an extension of the first |atera| rib and the long side of the Lextending in parallel to plane P, the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove, the second outer flange comprises successively an outer flat portionprojecting from the insulation material and the second |atera| rib, the first inner flange and the first outer flange delimit a first |atera| side ofthe insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central part, 3the second inner flange and the second outer flange delimit a second |atera| side of the insulation material which has the same inclination thanthe first |atera| side,the first |atera| side comprises a gasket.

A second subject of the invention consists of an assembly of at least a first and a second panel according to the invention wherein the second |atera| rib of the second panel is interlocked on the first |atera| rib of the first panel and the inner tongue of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess of the first panel.

A third subject of the invention consists of a process for the assembling of a first and a second panel according to the invention comprising: (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle oi, with the plane Pof the first panel, comprised between 10° and 50°, (ii) interlocking the second |atera| rib ofthe second panel on the first |atera|rib of the first panel, (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue of the second panel interlocks with the inner recess of the first panel.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be described in greater detail in the following description.

The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, which is provided purely for purposes of explanation and is in no way intended to be restrictive, with reference to: Figure 1, which is a perspective view of a sandwich panel according tothe invention, Figure 2, which is a cross-section of the sandwich panel of Figure 1,Figure 3, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of asandwich panel of Figure 1, Figure 4, which is a cross-section of the second longitudinal edge of asandwich panel of Figure 1, 4- Figure 5, which is a cross-section of the assembly of panels according to the invention, - Figure 6, which represents details of the assembly of panels according toFigure 5, - Figure 7, which is a cross-section of the first longitudinal edge of a firstsandwich panel and of the second longitudinal edge of a second sandwichpanel at one step of the assembly method. lt should be noted that the terms "inward", "inwards", "outward" and"outwards" as used in this application refer to the positions and orientations of thedifferent constituent elements of the panel in relation to the position of the insulationmaterial. Consequently, if an element extends inwards, it extends in the direction ofthe insulation panel. Similarly, if the element extends outwards, it extends in theopposite direction of the insulation panel. lt should also be noted that "inner" and "outer" as used in this application referto the position of the panels on a building. Consequently, the outer sheet is facingthe outside and the inner tray is facing the inside of the building. Consequently, theinner flange refers to the flange of the inner tray and the outer flange refers to theflange of the outer sheet. lt should be noted that the terms "lower", "upper", "above", "below", "top"...as used in this application refer to the positions and orientations of the differentconstituent elements of the panel when the latter is lying on an horizontal plane.

Throughout the text, a sheet is understood to mean an element that has a flatshape, i.e., its thickness is low compared to its other dimensions. Generallyspeaking, its thickness is 500 to 4000 times lower than its width. The sheet may bemade of a single material or a composite assembly. ln the latter case, the sheet isa stack of a plurality of layers of the same material or different materials. Thematerial in question may be, among others, a metallic material or a polymer. Steel,aluminum, copper and zinc may be cited as non-restricting examples of metallicmaterials. The sheet is preferably a metallic sheet. lt is preferably made ofpreviously galvanized and pre-coated steel to protect it against corrosion. The innertray and the outer sheet are examples of sheets. 5Within the framework of the invention, the sheet will preferably have been previously formed with the aid of any known forming method, including, by way ofnon-restricting examples, bending, forming, stamping and molding. ln particular, theU-shaped bend described later on is an element of the panel whose manufacturingprocess is not limited to bending.

This forming leads among other things to the formation of ribs, stiffeners orgrooves on the surface of the sheet. Throughout the text, a rib is understood to meana projection formed on the surface of the sheet. The rib may have a trapezoidalshape or a rectangular, corrugated, sinusoidal or even omega shape, for example.lt includes a top central part and two lateral wings. A stiffener is a rib of limited height,generally 10 to 30 times lower than a rib. Ribs and stiffeners are generally placed inparallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet notably to render the sheet more rigid.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the panel 1 according to the invention firstcomprises an insulation material 2 sandwiched between an inner metallic tray 3 andan outer metallic sheet 4. The sides of the insulation material thus form the sides ofthe panel.

The insulation material 2 can be any material providing some insulation to thepanel. lt can be, by way of non-restricting examples, polyurethane foam,polyisocyanurate foam, phenolic foam, mineral wool. According to a variant of theinvention, the insulation material is a composite comprising a lower layer of mineralwool and an upper layer of foamed material.

The inner metallic tray 3 is a metallic sheet of rectangular shape, comprisinglongitudinal edges and transversal edges, which has been formed at a previousstage. lt comprises, in cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, an innercentral part 5 and two inner flanges 6, 7 extending inwards from each extremity ofthe inner central part. The inner central part substantially lies down flat in a plane P.According to a variant of the invention, the inner central part 5 comprises stiffenersextending longitudinally to increase the stiffness of the metallic sheet.

As illustrated on Figure 3, the first inner flange 6 extends inwards from a firstlateral extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a S-shaped bend formingan inner recess 8 extending in parallel to plane P and inwards. Preferably, the innerrecess comprises an inner step 9 and a flat portion 10. The inner step can extend 6substantially perpendicularly from the inner central part or can be inclined towards the flat portion. The latter can be parallel to plane P or slightly inclined towards theinner central part to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels.

Preferably the first inner flange 6 comprises a first inner stiffener 11 extendingfrom the inner recess. According to one variant of the invention, the first innerstiffener extends substantially perpendicularly to the inner central part so as tofacilitate the manufacturing of the inner metallic tray. According to another variant,the first inner stiffener extends at least partially substantially along the edge of theinsulation material so as to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels.According to one variant of the invention, the first inner stiffener comprises a firstinner wing 12 extending parallel to plane P and inwards into the insulation material2. This helps stiffening the first inner flange.

As illustrated on Figure 4, the second inner flange 7 extends inwards from asecond lateral extremity of the inner central part 5 and comprises a U-shaped bendforming an inner tongue 13 extending substantially parallel to plane P and outwards.Preferably, the inner tongue comprises a lower branch 14 and an upper branch 15linked by a U-turn 16. More preferably, the upper branch 15 is slightly inclinedtowards the U-turn to facilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels. According toanother variant, the branches 14 and 15 are parallel. More preferably, the radius ofthe U-turn is such that the space in-betvveen the branches is filled with insulationmaterial 2 which helps stiffening the inner tongue. According to another variant, theradius of the U-turn is such that the two branches are in contact with each other.

Preferably the second inner flange 7 comprises a second inner stiffener 17extending from the inner tongue, in particularfrom the upper branch 15. Accordingto one variant of the invention, the second inner stiffener extends substantiallyperpendicularly to the inner central part so as to facilitate the manufacturing of theinner metallic tray. According to another variant, the second inner stiffener extendsat least partially substantially along the edge of the insulation material so as tofacilitate the interlocking of two adjacent panels. According to one variant of theinvention, the second inner stiffener 17 comprises a second inner wing extendingparallel to plane P and inwards into the insulation material 2. This helps stiffeningthe first inner flange. 7The inner recess 8 and the tongue 13 have shapes that allow their interlocking when one panel is assembled with an adjacent panel. Preferably, theirshapes are substantially complementary and their dimensions are such that: - The height of the inner recess (measured along the Y axis) is superior to the height of the inner tongue, - The width of the inner recess (measured along the X axis) is superior or equal to the width of the inner tongue.

Preferably, the shape and dimensions of the inner tongue are such that itperfectly fits into the inner recess, which further improve the resistance to windsuction. By "perfectly fits" it is meant that the inner tongue and the inner recess aresubstantially in contact to one another except in areas where a possible gasket isadded for sealing purposes, such as airtightness or thermal insulation. ln particular,the width of the upper branch 15 (measured along the X axis) is equal to the widthof the flat portion 10 (measured along the X axis) and the height of the inner step 9is equal to the height of the U-turn 16. More preferably, the inclination of the upperbranch 15 of the inner tongue fits the inclination of the flat portion 10 of the innerrecess.

As illustrated on Figures 1 and 2, the outer metallic sheet 4 is a metallic sheetof rectangular shape, comprising longitudinal edges and transversal edges, whichhas been formed at a previous stage. lt comprises, in cross-section perpendicularto its longitudinal axis, an outer central part 18 and two outer flanges 19, 20extending inwards and/or outwards from each extremity of the outer central part.Preferably, most of the outer central part is lying down in a plane parallel to planeP. ln the variant illustrated in figures 1 and 2 where the panel 1 is intended to beused for roofs, the outer central part comprises at least one central rib 21 mimickinga standing seam. ln particular, the lateral wings of the central rib are substantiallyparallel and close to one another. According to another variant, the outer centralpart comprises, in combination with the central rib 21 or not, stiffeners extendinglongitudinally to further increase the stiffness of the metallic sheet.

As illustrated on Figure 3, the first outer flange 19 extends from a firstextremity of the outer central part 18, substantially above the first inner flange 6 andcomprises successively a first lateral rib 22 extending substantially perpendicularlyto plane P and outwards and an outer recess 23 extending in parallel to plane P and 8inwards. By "outer recess", it is meant that this portion of the outer metallic sheet lies in a plane located below the plane of the outer central part 18.

The first lateral rib 22 comprises a first lower part 24 which is pinched, i.e. itslower part is at least partially thinner than its first upper part 25. Thanks to thisconfiguration, when a second lateral rib is clipped on the first lateral rib 22, the upperpart prevents the second lateral rib from unexpectedly unlocking. ln particular, on atleast a portion of the first lower part 24, the two lateral wings of the first lateral ribare substantially in contact. ln particular, the upper part has substantially the shapeof a rectangle or an ellipse which main axis is substantially perpendicularly to planeP or a circle. This shape acts as a lock. The upper part is delimited by the top centralpart of the first lateral rib 22 and the upper portion of the two lateral wings of the rib.

The main purpose of the outer recess is to hide repartition plates andfasteners used to fix the sandwich panel on the building structure. Preferably, theouter recess 23 comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L 26 as anextension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L 27 extending in parallel toplane P. The outer recess is deep enough, in particular the short side of the L is longenough, so that a repartition plate 36 and heads of fasteners 37 can lay on the outerrecess without jeopardizing the interlocking of two adjacent panels, as illustrated onfigures 5 and 6.

More preferably, the long side of the L comprises a longitudinal groove 28.This helps positioning the fastener and drilling through the outer metallic sheet.

Preferably the first outer flange 19 comprises a first outer stiffener 29extending from the outer recess 23, in particular from the long side of the L 27. Thishelps stiffening the outer metallic sheet and the first outer flange. According to thevariant illustrated, the first outer stiffener 29 has schematically the shape of a hook.

As illustrated on Figure 4, the second outer flange 20 extends from a secondextremity of the outer central part 18, substantially above the second inner flange 7and comprises a second lateral rib 30 extending substantially perpendicularly toplane P and outvvards.

Preferably, the second outer flange 20 comprises successively an outer flatportion 31 projecting from the lateral side of the insulation material and the secondlateral rib 30. ln particular, the outer flat portion is in the plane of the outer central 9part 18. The main purpose of this outer flat portion is to cover the outer recess of an adjacent panel when the two panels are interlocked.

The second |atera| rib 30 comprises a second lower part 32 which is pinched,i.e. the second lower part is at least partially thinner than the second upper part 33.Thanks to this configuration, when the second |atera| rib is clipped on the first |atera|rib 22, the pinch prevents the second |atera| rib from unexpectedly unlocking. lnparticular, on at least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two |atera| wings ofthe second |atera| rib are substantially in contact. ln particular, the second upperpart has substantially the shape of a rectangle or an ellipse which main axis issubstantially perpendicularly to plane P or a circle. The second upper part isdelimited by the top central part of the second |atera| rib 30 and the upper portion ofthe two |atera| wings of the rib.

The shape of the second |atera| rib 30 is such that it can be interlocked on the first |atera| rib 22, as illustrated on Figure 6. ln particular: - on at least a portion of the second lower part 32, the two |atera| wings ofthe second |atera| rib are spaced by twice the thickness of the outermetallic sheet so that the second lower part 32 fits above the first lowerpart 24 and, - the second upper part 33 has substantially the same shape than the firstupper part 25 but slightly bigger so that the second upper part 33 fitsabove the first upper part 25.

By "slightly bigger", it is meant that the difference in width of the second upper part 33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice the thickness of the outer metallic sheet and that the difference in height of the secondupper part 33 and the first upper part 25 is substantially equal to twice thethickness of the outer metallic sheet.

The man skilled in the art can easily design other geometries of the first and second |atera| ribs that interlock each other while preventing unexpected unlocking.

The first outer flange 19 is located on the same |atera| side, thereafterreferred to as first |atera| side 34, of the panel than the first inner flange 6 so that,when the second |atera| rib 30 of a second panel is interlocked on the first |atera| rib22 of a first panel already fixed on the building structure, the inner tongue 13 of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess 8 of the first panel. Consequently, the connection between the two panels is very strong. ln particular, as the inner tongueof the second panel is blocked under the first panel, the resistance to wind suctionof the panel assembly is greatly improved.

The outer recess 23 is preferably located substantially above the firstextremity of the inner central part. Preferably, the long side of the L 27 is locatedahead of the first inner flange 6 (along the X axis) so that fasteners going throughthe outer recess do not go through the first inner flange.

Preferably, the first inner flange 6 and the first outer flange 19 are positionedso that the first lateral side 34 of the insulation material is inclined towards the outermetallic sheet, i.e. the inner central part 5 and the first lateral side 34 forms an acuteangle.

Symmetrically, the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 arepreferably positioned so that the second lateral side 35 of the insulation material hasthe same inclination than the first lateral side 34. Thanks to this symmetricalinclination, when a first panel is interlocked on a second panel, the second lateralside of the first panel is substantially in contact on all its surface with the first lateralside of the second panel. This improves the thermal efficiency and airtightness ofthe panel assembly. lf one of the lateral sides comprises a gasket 38, then the latteris uniformly compressed. More preferably, when the first lateral side of the insulationmaterial is inclined towards the outer metallic sheet, the compression of the gasketis even higher.

The gasket 38 can be, among others, of an elastomeric material, PVC foam,PU foam, PVC hollow section joint or of an intumescent material, such as a mineralfiber-based mat incorporating phosphate or exfoliating graphite. The gasket ispreferably part of the second lateral side of the insulation material so that it isprotected by the second inner flange 7 and the second outer flange 20 duringtransportation and panel handling. Nevertheless, it can be preferred to have thegasket on the first lateral side of the insulation material so that its is easier to place the gasket on the panel. 11To form a roof or facade, panels 1 are assembled by marginal overlapping of their Iongitudinal and/or transverse edges and attached to the supporting structureof the building by means of fasteners such as screws, nails, or rivets.

The first step of the assembly method consists in positioning a first panel onthe building structure and attaching it to the structure by means of a fastener 37going through the outer recess 23 of the outer metallic sheet 4, the insulationmaterial 2 and the inner metallic tray 3, as illustrated on Figure 5. Preferably, arepartition plate 36 is positioned in the outer recess before fastening the panel tolimit the deformation of the outer metallic sheet and to improve the transmission ofloads between the panel and the fastener and thus improve the resistance to windsucüon.

The second step of the assembly method consists in transversely inclining asecond panel at an angle with the plane P of the first panel, thereafter referred asangle d, comprised between 10° and 50°, preferably between 20° and 40°, asillustrated on Figure 7.

The third step of the assembly method consists in interlocking the secondlateral rib 30 of the second panel on the first lateral rib 22 of the first panel.

The fourth step of the assembly method consists in rotating the second panelin the direction of the building structure until the inner tongue 13 of the second panelinterlocks with the inner recess 8 of the first panel.

The second panel can thereafter be fastened to the building structuresimilarly to what has been done for the first panel.

Claims (13)

1. ) Panel (1) comprising an insulation material (2) sandwiched between an inner metallic tray (3) and an outer metallic sheet (4) wherein the inner metallic tray comprises in cross-section: An inner central part (5) substantially lying in a plane P, A first inner flange (6) extending inwards from a first extremity of the innercentral part and comprising an inner recess (8) extending in parallel toplane P and inwards, A second inner flange (7) extending inwards from a second extremity ofthe inner central part and comprising a U-shaped bend forming an innertongue (13) extending in parallel to plane P and outwards, the innerrecess and the inner tongue having shapes that allow their interlocking, wherein the outer metallic sheet (4) comprises in cross-section: An outer central part (18), A first outer flange (19) extending from a first extremity of the outer centralpart, substantially above the first inner flange and comprisingsuccessively: o a first lateral rib (22) extending substantially perpendicularly toplane P and outwards and comprising a first lower part (24) and afirst upper part (25), the first lower part being at least partiallythinner than the first upper part, o an outer recess (23) extending in parallel to plane P and inwards, A second outer flange (20) extending from a second extremity of the outercentral part and comprising a second lateral rib (30) extendingsubstantially perpendicularly to plane P and outwards and comprising asecond lower part (32) and a second upper part (33), the second lowerpart being at least partially thinner than the second upper part, the firstlateral rib and the second lateral rib having shapes that allow theinterlocking of the second lateral rib on the first lateral rib. 2) 3) 4) 6) 7) 8) 9) 13Panel according to claim 1 wherein the inner recess (8) comprises an inner step (9) extending substantially perpendicular from the inner central part (5)and a flat portion (10). Panel according to any one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the inner tongue (13)comprises a lower branch (14) and an upper branch (15) linked by a U-turn(16), the upper branch being inclined towards the U-Turn. Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first lateralrib (22) comprises two lateral wings which are substantially in contact on atleast a portion of the first lower part (24). Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer recess(23) comprises a L-shaped portion with the short side of the L (26) being anextension of the first lateral rib and the long side of the L (27) extending inparallel to plane P. Panel according to claim 5 wherein the long side of the L (27) comprises alongitudinal groove (28). Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the second outerflange (20) comprises successively an outer flat portion (31) projecting fromthe insulation material and the second lateral rib (30). Panel according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first innerflange (6) and the first outer flange (19) delimit a first lateral side (34) of the insulation material which forms an acute angle with the inner central part (5). Panel according to claim 8 wherein the second inner flange (7) and thesecond outer flange (20) delimit a second lateral side (35) of the insulationmaterial which has the same inclination than the first lateral side (34). 10) Panel according to any one of claims 8 or 9 wherein the first lateral side (34) comprises a gasket (38). 1411) Assembly of at least a first and a second panel (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel isinterlocked on the first lateral rib (22) of the first panel and the inner tongue (13) of the second panel is inserted in the inner recess (8) of the first panel. 12) A process for the assembling of a first and a second panel (1) according toany one of claims 1 to 10 comprising:- (i) transversely inclining the second panel at an angle oi, with the plane Pof the first panel, comprised between 10° and 50°,- (ii) interlocking the second lateral rib (30) of the second panel on the firstlateral rib (22) of the first panel,- (iii) rotating the second panel until the inner tongue (13) of the second panel interlocks with the inner recess (8) of the first panel.